A Sprite in the Forest
by LilithiaRW
Summary: When Haku first met her, be thought she was surely a faerie. She was light and she was happiness, and so impossibly bright that he was sure he would be blinded. Still he could never look away, and he only prayed that he was worthy of her attention. A short story through the years of a love which never wavered. Because Haku needs love too. Rated M for chapter 6.
1. Chapter 1 - Forest Sprite

**I have figured out that if I write random oneshots (well this is more like a short story... anyway moving on) in between updating my larger stories (okay, I'm only really updating the Haruno Clan but whatev) my inspiration well does not run dry.**

**So, because I love Sakura with basically every male character in Naruto, I decided to go with one of my first favorites. **

**Haku.**

**Because he's adorable AF.**

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO.**

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><p><em><span>Chapter One: A Forest Sprite<span>_

"Hi!"

Haku looked up in surprise, his bright chocolate eyes widening at the sight of the girl before him. She was around his age, he would guess, maybe five or six years old. But she was unlike anyone he had ever seen before in his life.

Peachy skin, face flushed with unending happiness. Wild strands of pink (_pink!_) hair, floated in the breeze, falling haphazardly across her face and the tips tickling her shoulders. Sparkling green eyes blinked as misbehaving strands caught on her reddish eyelashes, causing her to shake her head and set her hair into chaos yet again. Haku had the most unexplainable need to touch those pink locks, to see if they were real, if _she_ was real.

He looked around in confusion, wondering where the little sprite had come from. They were in a glade, quite a ways from the nearest village. Zabuza told him to stay out of sight while the older shinobi walked into the shady town to gather supplies. There were no houses this far out from the village, as far as Haku knew.

Perhaps this girl was a spirit of some sort?

A giggle interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm talking to you, silly." The ethereal child bounced closer to Haku, and the boy pulled back. Suddenly, he was afraid that if he dared to touch this spirit she would vanish before his eyes, bursting into wisps and float away on the breeze.

At his retreat, the girl paused and cocked her head in confusion, furrowing her brows and pursing her lips in an expression that made Haku's stomach feel funny.

"Are you scared of me?" The little girl asked, her high voice softening, gentle as if speaking to a wild animal. And maybe he was.

Haku shook his head, although he wasn't sure himself of his answer. "I –I …"

The girl giggled. "You don't have to be frightened. Do I look that mean?"

"No!" Haku exclaimed in horror, waving his hands before him in a negative gesture, hoping that he had not offended the spirit girl.

The pink haired girl placed her fingers upon her lips to smother another round of amused giggles. The boy was just so cute! He seemed so nice and sweet and gentle, nothing like the mean kids back home who bullied her. In fact, the look on the boy's face was one that she knew all too well, worry lines and fidgety eyes. Here was another child who had been hurt by others, yet his eyes shone with a desperation for kindness. And he looked at her like she was… pretty. She had never felt pretty before.

"My name is Sakura." She grinned and held out her hand to shake.

The boy stared at her hand with those adorable doe eyes, glancing from her pink little fingers up to her round, happy face. Very hesitantly, he reached out. The boy seemed to hold his breath as his fingers very lightly brushed the tips of Sakura's own. Quickly, he pulled back an inch, his gaze shooting up back at Sakura's face, hoping that the spirit child would not suddenly poof into non-existence.

When Haku saw that Sakura was still there, he again reached forward, his touch lingering on her hand. But instead of shaking her hand (did the boy not know how?) he held her hand and intertwined their fingers.

Sakura stared at their hands in surprise, her cheeks heating up. She looked up at Haku and saw him give her a shy smile. Feeling her heart flutter, happiness bubbling up inside her, Sakura leaned her head back and let out an unrestrained laugh.

Haku stared at the laughing girl, amazed at the sight. She had to be a forest sprite, or a spirit of happiness. There was no way anyone could find so much joy in the world, especially in someone as insignificant as him. But when her viridian eyes captured his own gaze, Haku suddenly forgot about the world around him. She looked at him as if he was the most important thing in the world, as if he _mattered._

"Haku…" He murmured his name softly, his eyes flickering downward nervously.

He had not thought it would be possible for Sakura's face to be happier, yet it did, brightening at his name and nearly blinding him.

"Ne, Haku-chan, you're so cute!" Sakura teased.

Haku turned bright red, and his fingers tightened around hers.

Suddenly Sakura remembered that her parents were waiting for her, and she glanced up at the sky.

"Oh!" she gasped. "I'm late!"

Haku's gaze shot back up at her, panic flashing across his face and his hand tightened almost painfully around hers, afraid to let her go.

"Gomen, Haku-chan, but I have to go!" Sakura's pink locks flew around her head as she snapped her head to look behind her in the direction her parents were no doubt waiting impatiently.

"B-But –!" Haku froze when Sakura's lips landed on his cheek in a small, friendly peck. His mind stuttered to a halt and his grip on her went limp.

"I hope I see you again, Haku-chan!" Sakura called over her shoulder as she fluttered away, taking the light and the color with her.

Haku stared in the direction the sprite had disappeared. His emotions were in turmoil: first he wanted to chase after her, angry that she had left him. Then he wanted to cry because the world seemed so gray without her presence. But the memory of her smile warmed his heart, a piece of happiness that he could always carry within himself.

He almost took a step forward to follow the pinkette, but then he remembered Zabuza's orders not to stray from that spot. His heart almost rebelled against the idea, but Haku squashed such rebellious thoughts quickly.

When Zabuza returned, the rogue was surprised and mildly amused at the look upon his charge's face. Haku seemed lost in a daydream, his expression caught somewhere between wonder and hunger.

"Did something happen, kid?" Zabuza asked, poking the side of Haku's head to break his thoughts.

Haku glanced up in badly-hidden surprise, seemingly unaware of his master's arrival.

When all that greeted Zabuza was silence, the rogue raised an eyebrow meaningfully and crossed his arms in a scolding manner. "Well?"

Haku's gaze turned back to gaze intently into the forest.

"I met a forest sprite."

…

Zabuza scoffed and begrudgingly ruffled Haku's hair. "Crazy kid. Come on, let's get going."

The missing-nin hulled a pack of supplies onto his back next to his large sword and began walking towards the road. Haku hesitated, staring into the forest in the hopes of seeing a glimpse of pink or emerald. When nothing showed, he sighed and turned to follow Zabuza, tucking the memory next to his heart, a smile touching his lips.

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><p><strong>Okay, so yeah this started as a one shot. But its turned into a 5-6-7 shot (I really don't know when this will end). Needless to say there is no over-arcing plotline, however I wanted to take my time writing their story.<strong>

**There really isn't enough HakuSaku in this world, let alone any which do the couple justice. There is not enough Haku in this world period.**

**Review please!**

**~Lilithia**


	2. Chapter 2 - Beaded Bracelets

**This entire chapter is dedicated to chibi-Haku and chibi-Sakura and how utterly adorable both were as children.**

**I'm on a roll bitches.**

**-BTW Sakura refers to Haku as 'Haku-chan' and not 'Haku-kun'. '-chan' is a general endearment for little children, while '-kun' could be considered slightly more romantic when coming from someone of equal age. But since our two favorite litte ones are too young for romance, they both stick to the '-chan'.**

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Two: Beaded Bracelets<span>_

They were traveling west through the Land of Hot Water towards the coast which faced Kirigakure. Zabuza pushed hard towards Yugakure, hoping to reach the village in time to grab a good deal from the hot spring resorts in order to spend the night in an actual bed. Haku had been unusually silent that day, but then again, the boy was always silent unless spoken to. But his silence was different today, somehow warmer, happier, words that Zabuza would never use to describe the boy.

He would admit, the story of the forest sprite was a little surprising. Did Haku actually meet someone of such strange coloring in that forest? Zabuza did not think it possible for anyone to have bright pink hair. The girl that Haku had briefly described sounded like nothing but the wishful thinking of a lonely boy –even if Haku was still too young to have such urges. The boy was so gentle and naïve sometimes that it frustrated the demon shinobi. Of course he would come up with an equally feminine and outlandish imaginary friend.

The Land of Hot Water was a mountainous, heavily forested region. However it was easy to tell that the pair was approaching Yugakure due to the increasingly heavy and warm fog and the faint scent of sulfur on the breeze.

As the path that they were following sloped upwards, the walls of Yugakure came into view, appearing like a ghost out of the mist. Zabuza felt his body relax slightly, knowing that shelter was within reach and that Yugakure was a relatively peaceful and neutral state.

The innkeeper did not even blink twice at the sight of the imposing missing-nin as Zabuza entered the resort. Then again, the Land of Hot Water was a popular retreat for ninja of all backgrounds, and there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between most shinobi to avoid confrontation while within the village's territory. Even Haku seemed happier there, judging by the lessening tension in his shoulders and the placid look on his face.

"I'm gonna go ahead and jump into the hot spring." Zabuza grunted as he and the boy entered the room they had rented, the older man throwing his travel pack upon one of the two futons. "You are allowed to look around, but don't get into trouble."

Haku bowed obediently to his master. "Of course not, Zabuza-sama." Haku murmured softly.

Zabuza smirked, the very idea of Haku causing trouble was nearly laughable. Shrugging, Zabuza left the room to head to the baths, eager to feel the heat on his muscles.

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><p>Haku had always liked traveling. He loved seeing new places and watching the different people go about their daily lives. He especially loved looking at the local crafts and souvenirs. Though Haku had few disappointments in the life he was now living, his inability to collect trinkets from his travels was always one of them, due to the nomadic nature of Zabuza and himself.<p>

As he stopped to stare at a vendor selling brightly colored stone beads which had been carved and set into jewelry by local craftsmen, Haku caught a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye. His heart leaping into his throat, Haku spun around to scan the crowd.

And there she was.

A little pinkette, dressed in a pretty blue hakama over green capris and sandals, stood across the marketplace. His gaze followed the upward reach of her right arm, where her tiny fingers grasped the larger hand of a blonde woman which Haku assumed was her mother. He felt a pang of jealousy at the sight, suddenly wishing for his own mother for the first time in years.

Haku felt frozen as the girl he had thought a figment of imagination turned her head and smiled up at her mother, those bright green eyes impossibly innocent. He ached to go to her, to have that smile aimed at him again, to touch her hair and stare into that viridian gaze and never look away. He wanted to steal her away from her mother, to keep her by his side forever, to hide her beauty from the world and the corruption of men. Haku was surprised by surprisingly possessive thoughts which crossed his mind, though he also felt vaguely righteous by them.

"Sakura…" He whispered, an impossible warmth blooming in his chest, thankful that he was even able to see her again when he was so sure he never would.

As if hearing his thoughts, the little girl glanced around the marketplace. Her eyes passed right over his, and Haku felt a twinge of sadness for a moment, before Sakura's eyes widened and her head swiveled back in his direction. Their eyes locked and again that impossibly bright smile stretched across Sakura's features, lighting up the entire world.

Ripping her hand free of her mother's grip, Sakura gave a little cry of joy and hurdled towards Haku. Without even his usual hesitation, Haku opened his arms and allowed the bundle of energy to slam into him. Thankfully Haku had a great sense of balance, otherwise he was sure that the force of Sakura's embrace would have knocked them both to the ground.

Yet he could have cared less. No one had ever been so overjoyed at the sight of him. Sakura was barely an acquaintance, yet she greeted him like a long-lost loved one, her grip around his ribs surprisingly strong as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"Haku-chan!" Sakura pulled back, her wild pink strands whipping around her face with the force of her energy. "What are you doing here?"

Her words were spoken fast and breathlessly, full of excitement and lilting with an undertone of laughter. Haku could not help but smile in return, raising his hand to tuck the unruly strands behind her ear.

"My guardian and I traveled here for the hot springs." Haku answered in a half-truth. Sakura's mother had followed the path blazed by her daughter and was approaching the two children with an exasperated expression. Sakura's mother was obviously civilian, and it wouldn't due to clue them in to the fact that he and Zabuza were shinobi. Civilians were never fond of that.

"Ne, really?" Sakura tittered. "Oh if I had known I would have invited you to join us! You guys could have traveled with my parents and I!"

The words tumbled out of Sakura's mouth so fast that Haku had trouble keeping up with them. He was so used to the quiet, reserved personalities of himself and Zabuza that Sakura's sheer vocabulary count had his head spinning.

"Sakura-chan, do you know this boy?"

The two children looked up at the mature female voice, a blonde woman with green eyes smiling sweetly at the two of them.

Sakura gasped and grabbed Haku's hand, the boy finally loosing his balance and lurching forward unexpectedly as the little girl pulled him to stand before her mother.

"Kaa-san, this is the boy I told you about yesterday!" Sakura exclaimed. Poor Haku stumbled behind her, bumping into Sakura's side. Sakura seemed unbothered by this, and in fact wrapped her arms around his arm and gripped it to her chest.

Haku felt his cheeks heating up.

Sakura's mother laughed and turned her gaze to the quiet boy. Haku was struck by the familiarity of her eyes, an exact replica of her daughter's.

"Hello child." The blonde woman greeted. "I am Haruno Mebuki."

Haku bowed politely, despite the fact that his left arm was now immobilized by Sakura's embrace. "I am Haku, Haruno-san."

Mebuki hid a smile behind her hand. "Ne, such a polite boy you've found, Sakura-chan. It is a shame that you seem to abuse him so."

Sakura gasped, offended. "I am not!" She pouted. Then Sakura paused and glanced at the increasing blush on Haku's face, turning back to her mother with puppy-eyes. "Can we keep him?"

Mebuki let out a loud laugh, and Haku turn so red he was sure that he would never return to his normal palor.

"Sakura-chan." Mebuki scolded, though her voice was still amused. "You can't just kidnap any boy that catches your fancy."

"But he's the only boy that has caught my fancy!" Sakura protested.

Haku had not thought it possible, but his face heated up even more. But his embarrassment turned into amusement as he listened to the friendly argument between the lady Haruno and her daughter. He was surprised at how well Sakura spoke for someone their age, showing intelligence and wit. Haku felt his heart speed up when he realized that the pinkette was probably a young genius, just like him. Suddenly he felt even more possessive of her.

Haku's thoughts were interrupted when Sakura and her mother seemed to come to an agreement. He felt confusion as the lady Haruno smiled and patted both their heads, before turning and walking away.

"Um, Sakura-san?" Haku asked.

The girl sent him a horrified look, adding to the boy's confusion. "Haku-chan! You don't have to be so polite with me! I thought we were friends?"

_Friends. _Haku felt like his heart was going to burst. In less than two days little Sakura had brought him more happiness than he had felt in years.

"Sakura-chan." Haku smiled warmly.

The pinkette grinned and bobbed her head in satisfaction. "That's better. Now come one, Haku-chan! My mother let us have the rest of the afternoon to explore the market together!"

Haku was surprised that the girl's mother would be so negligent with her precious daughter, but as Sakura began dragging Haku to the vendors, he glimpsed the lady Haruno hovering just out of Sakura's view. Haku quirked a smile, suddenly happy that Sakura had such caring parents. Such a bright and joyous girl deserved every ounce of love and affection which Haku could see shining in her mother's eyes.

"Haku look! Aren't they pretty?" Sakura pointed to a stall, selling little dolls. Her little fingers brushed over the brightly painted cloth which adorned the small figures, tracing the petals of flowers and leaves embroidered into the little dresses.

Haku nodded in agreement. "Do you like dolls, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura smiled but shook her head. "Dolls are only pretty to look at. They aren't very useful though. I prefer… practicality."

The little girl pronounced the last word carefully, pursing her lips when it didn't sound quite as punctual as she had aimed for. If Haku had thought Sakura was doll-like before, he no longer did anymore. He agreed with Sakura's description, she was far too lively to ever be compared to a doll. Her beauty did not lay in stillness, but in movement, the arch of her eyebrows, the sound of her laughter, the floating wisps of pink hair, and her constant movement, fluttering like a butterfly from vendor to vendor. And all the while she never let go of Haku's hand.

And if she noticed the way Haku entwined his fingers with hers, she never mentioned it.

Eventually they had managed to circle back to where they had begun, having visited nearly every stall and shop. As they approached the stall which Haku had been standing at when Sakura found him, he paused and glanced back down at the beaded jewelry.

"Do you like them, Haku-chan?" Sakura asked, peering around his shoulder.

Haku nodded. "Which do you like best, Sakura-chan?"

The pinkette hummed as she leaned over the stall, the beaded jewelry spread out before her. Haku saw a shadow approach them and looked up to see an older man from the stall next to them leering at little Sakura while she was distracted.

Rage filled Haku and his eyes narrowed in a deadly glare, his hand squeezing Sakura's and gently tugging her closer to him. She did not look up from the wares, obliging Haku by absently stepping closer to him, completely unaware of the situation.

When the leering man caught Haku's gaze, his face twisted into a sneer. But Haku was hardly scared by the man's animosity, allowing a senbon to emerge from his sleeve. The light glinted off of the weapon, catching the older man's attention. When the pedophile noticed the ninja weapon, the blood drained from his face and he quickly walked away. Civilians were well aware that even the youngest shinobi were capable of violence.

With the threat to Sakura gone, Haku slid his senbon back into his sleeve, though his anger remained. Just the memory of the way that man had looked at Sakura made him want to hunt the pedophile down and murder him for even _glancing_ in her direction.

"I like this one." Sakura pointed to a small bracelet made of small, low-grade tiger's eye beads. She carefully picked them up and held them before his face.

Haku quirked a brow. It was an unusual choice. He had expected Sakura to choose a more girly color.

As if reading his thoughts again, Sakura smiled and glanced between the beads and his face. "They look like your eyes, Haku-chan. Brown and gold mixed together."

His anger from before melted away in shock. Then a smile made its way onto his face and he laughed ever so softly. When was the last time he had laughed? What an amazing creature this girl was.

He lifted his arm to catch the seller's attention. The man turned to greet his two rather young customers. Haku gestured to the bracelet Sakura was holding, and the man responded with the price.

Before Sakura could protest, Haku had handed the money over to the vendor and her bracelet had been bought.

"Haku! That was sneaky!" Sakura accused, though she did not pull away as Haku picked up her hand and slid the bracelet onto her wrist. However Haku could see that she was secretly pleased by his gift, and so he hardly felt any remorse.

"Fine." Sakura huffed. "Then I'll buy you one."

"Sakura-chan, that's not –" Her glare shut him up. Haku sighed in defeated and turned his attention back to the jewelry.

Hardly five seconds passed before he found what he was looking for. He snatched up the bracelet and held it up to Sakura, comparing it to her eyes.

"Jade?" Sakura asked, glancing at the surprisingly bright green beads. "You don't seem like the type…"

Haku chuckled. "They match your eyes, Sakura-chan."

Said eyes widened and Sakura's mouth dropped open in a cute little 'o'. Then she grinned and handed her money to the seller, before eagerly sliding the bracelet onto Haku's wrist.

"Now I'll always remember you." Haku murmured softly.

Sakura glanced at him with a mischievous smile, making his heart flutter. "Silly. You would have remembered me anyway." She stated confidently.

At that moment Haku sensed another presence approaching them, and he looked up with a guarded expression, stepping protectively in front of Sakura. Belatedly, he realized that it was only Sakura's parents approaching them.

A man was with Sakura's mother, with mauve-pink hair and twinkling eyes, his face set into a permanent smile. His hand rested comfortable around his wife's waist, and Haku could not help but feel happy for the perfect family.

"Mom! Dad!" Sakura greeted happily, although she stayed next to Haku, holding his hand.

Her father seemed to pout at the sight of Sakura with a boy. "Mebuki, how could you?" He whined. "Throwing my precious daughter at boys already! I am appalled!"

Mebuki rolled her eyes at his over-protective display and smiled warmly at Haku. "Hello Haku-kun. This is my husband, Kizashi."

Despite his attitude about Sakura and boys, Kizashi was quite friendly to Haku they bowed to each other and exchanged greetings.

"Sakura, honey, it's time to return to the inn. Say goodbye to your friend." Mebuki told her daughter.

"But –!"

"No 'buts' young lady." Mebuki interrupted. "We gave you some time with your friend. You can play with Haku-kun tomorrow, if he is available. But now it is dinnertime, and after that it's off to bed with you!"

Sakura grumbled, displeased, but acquiesced to her mother's wishes.

"I guess we part now, Haku-chan." Sakura turned to him, a slight pout still upon her lips.

Haku smiled at her fondly. "I had fun today, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette grinned, nodding her head enthusiastically. "Oh yes! It was great! Can we play tomorrow, Haku-chan?"

Now Haku let his smile fall, and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. My guardian and I are going to continue traveling tomorrow morning."

"What?" Sakura gasped, throwing herself at Haku unexpectedly and hugging him tightly. "B-but I don't wanna say goodbye!"

Haku chuckled at her behavior and patted her back. "Ne, Sakura-chan, I'm sure we'll see each other again someday."

With watery eyes, Sakura pulled back but kept her arms around him. "Promise me you won't forget me?"

"I could never." Haku promised.

Sakura surprised him by cupping his face in her hands and planting a kiss on his cheek. Haku was once again rendered immobile in shock, while in the distance Mebuki tittered and Kizashi wailed in protest.

Sakura stared into his eyes one last time before her hand fell away and she sadly rejoined her parents. When she looked back over her shoulder, Haku was gone.

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><p>When Haku returned to the room, Zabuza had been in the middle of sharpening Kubikiribōchō. The older nin looked up and his sharp eyes immediately focused on Haku's new accessory.<p>

"Jade beads?" Zabuza stated in astonishment. Then he scoffed. "You'll only attract more bandits with such a trinket."

Haku returned his barb with a soft smile. "Then that provides you with more enemies to defeat, ne Zabuza?"

The rogue scoffed again and turned away from the boy, wondering if Haku had finally lost his mind. It was such an unusual accessory for the simple boy.

Haku climbed into bed and ran his fingers back and forth across the beads, smiling softly as he fell asleep dreaming about his little sprite.

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><p><strong>In case it isn't clear from my (admittedly very few) clues, Sakura and her parents are on a family vacation in the Land of Hot Water (famous for its hot springs resorts). Zabuza and Haku were just passing through (on their way to Kiri, actually).<strong>

**Little anime children are adorable AF. Cuteness overload commence, ne?**

**Review please!**

**~Lilithia**


	3. Chapter 3 - Reunion (part 1)

**This chapter takes place years later during the mission to Wave Country.**

**There are a few changes in this Sakura from canon!Sakura. I figured that since Sakura met Haku in this slightAU before she met Sasuke, Haku would become the mold for her ideal romance. Therefore, Sakura in this story will have never had a crush on Sasuke. This means that without Sasuke to distract her, Sakura realizes her shortcomings and is a little more realistic about her situation.**

**Enjoy~**

**YO NO OWN-O NARUTO (awful Spanglish lol)**

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><p><span><em>Chapter Three: Reunion (part 1)<em>

Sakura was very frustrated. Naruto was being loud, Sasuke was being anal, and her sensei was being a pervert. On top of all that, their customer was an churlish and bitter man with no manners whatsoever. And since Tazuna was the one paying them, _they _had to keep _his_ ungrateful bum happy.

But nooo, her teammates did not understand this and Kakashi-oni-sensei obviously did not care so it was left to Sakura to appease the old man.

Dammit.

"And then I was like _bam! _and the bad guys are all _ahhhh! _and I stood there in a really cool pose like _this _–"

"Dobe, shut up."

"What did you say, teme?!"

"Hn."

"Just you wait until I –"

"Hey Shrimp, I agree with Emo over here." Tazuna grouched. Both Naruto and Sasuke glared at the man.

"I am not a shrimp!"

"…Really? Emo?"

Sakura scowled at the ground, resisting the urge to cover her ears. She was surrounded by idiots. All of them. Even her stupid sensei. Was it a male thing?

Just as she did every time she was lost in thought, her fingers reached for the beads which encircled her left wrist, dark brown stone winking golden when the light hit them. She always found herself staring at those beads, if she was sad, if she was angry, and always when she was happy.

Haku.

The boy felt like a dream. She had long ago let go of the hope of seeing the boy again, after all the Elemental Nations were large and dangerous. Sakura knew that there was very little chance of her ever seeing him again, but that did not stop her from daydreaming about the boy throughout her years. He had been so pretty, so kind, and she had never met anyone like him since then.

Did he remember her? Had he kept the bracelet as she had all these years? Sakura wondered what Haku looked like now. No doubt he had grown into a handsome young man. He probably had just as many girls chasing after him as Sasuke did. If not more, knowing how polite Haku was. Sakura frowned as jealousy touched her heart. She had found him first!

Oh but such useless thoughts. Haku and she were just two children that happened to meet while traveling very far away from their respective homes. But she had always hoped that she might one day stumble across him in her travels as a shinobi.

No, stop that! Useless dreams!

A light flickered ahead and Sakura looked up to seek its source. The sun was sparkling across a puddle of water on the side of the road, flashing into her eyes. Sakura tilted her head and furrowed her brows in confusion. Why was there a puddle in the middle of the –

_SCREEEECH!_

Sakura screamed as large chains shot out of nowhere, wrapping around her sensei and ripping Kakashi to pieces before her very eyes, mangled flesh flying and blood splattering in every direction.

"Protect the client!" Sasuke hissed under his breath to her as he recovered from his own shock, moving to engage their enemies.

His words brought Sakura back to the present, and she swallowed heavily, pushing the grueling sight of her dead sensei from her mind to concentrate on the situation at hand. Sakura knew that she was not a very strong fighter, but they had a job to do and she would not fail!

Grabbing Tazuna's hand, Sakura yanked the man backwards and pushed him behind her, widening her stance in a defensive position and pulling out a kunai. She felt momentary awe and jealousy at the sight of Sasuke so readily confronting the enemy, so confident in his skills.

Sakura wanted to be strong too. _But she didn't know how…_

Wait –where was Naruto? Sakura glanced around and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of poor Naruto frozen in fear, still staring at the place where Kakashi had been standing. Sakura drew in a breath to call out to him, to snap him out of it, when she felt the atmosphere shift.

Sakura turned her gaze just in time to see one of the rogue ninja coming for her. She readied her stance and lifted her kunai –

Only to see Sasuke's back.

Relief flooded Sakura, but it was followed by anger. Anger at Sasuke for thinking she was weak, and anger at herself because she was grateful for his intervention, because she _knew_ that she was weak.

But then Sakura's thoughts stuttered to a halt as _Kakashi-sensei_ seemingly rose from the dead and began to kick ass!

"Wha…" She muttered under her breath, eyes darting from where Kakashi had fallen to where he was no standing with the two missing-nin hog tied to a tree. He had defeated them so fast that she had barely kept up with their fight!

"Tazuna."

Kakashi's voice was low, dangerous with barely suppressed anger. Sakura felt goosebumps run down her arms at the sound. Suddenly her lazy sensei did not seem so carefree anymore.

The bridge builder trembled slightly as Kakashi loomed over him.

"You have some explaining to do."

While Tazuna explained to them about the poverty in Wave and the tyranny of some business mogul named Gato, Sakura turned and saw her blonde teammate glaring angrily at the ground, clenching his teeth and his fists. She felt a pang of pity for the boy, knowing that if it hadn't been for Sasuke's order, she would have been just as numb.

"I can't endanger my students." Kakashi's voice broke her thoughts. "We are going back to Konoha."

"NO!"

Everyone turned to Naruto. Sakura almost smiled as Naruto gave a speech about never giving up and promising to get stronger. What did not amuse her, however, was that he had stuck a kunai into his thigh for emphasis.

Sakura facepalmed. "And now you'll die of blood loss before we even get to the village." She muttered.

Sasuke snorted and Naruto began panicking.

She was surrounded by idiots.

* * *

><p>They continued into Wave Country, Sakura's senses never quite calming down after that first attack. Still she managed to have a small but polite conversation with Tazuna over the economy of Wave and the trade system that he planned to set up once his bridge was built.<p>

Naruto blatantly stared in amazement at Sakura's grasp of 'adult stuff' such as economic trade and resource relationships. Even Sasuke and Kakashi eyed the girl when she began tying the regional welfare of Wave into politics and the potential fall in investments should Wave begin rising in the global market.

"Why would investment fall?" Tazuna scoffed. "If Gato is overthrown then the wealth of Wave would not be monopolized and trade would flow more easily with allied countries."

"You seem to forget who your current investors are, Tazuna-san." Sakura countered, looking a little frustrated that he did catch on to her implications. "Currently, those investing in Wave stocks are all allied with Gato. A man like Gato doesn't need investors who are concerned with charity. Right now all of Wave's stocks are held by selfish and corrupted men who cozy up to Gato so that they can profit from his monopolization. When you create open trade those investors will lose their revenue from Gato and, presuming you want to institute fair sanctioning, they lose their profits to the middle-class. If Gato falls, all you investors go with him."

"Then there will be others!" Tazuna grumbled. "People who want to help will finally be able to, investors that were once denied by Gato will finally have access to our goods."

"You are assuming that the men that are currently Gato's investors would just leave peacefully. But they won't. There are at least ten or so greedy bastards that are lined up to take Gato's place." Sakura paused. "Besides, even if no one tries to take up Gato's corporation, they still have their own influence. Just because Wave becomes an open market does not mean that new investors will flood in. More likely, Gato's old investors will threaten anyone who dares invest in the new Wave economy, so that your country will once again fall into poverty and they can easily re-assert control."

Tazuna glared at the ground. "Damn… you're right."

Sakura shrugged. "I'm not saying that you should stop fighting but… maybe you should make back up plans."

By now the rest of her team was staring at her, lost in the confusion of her vocabulary. Even Kakashi had failed to turn a page in his book for the past couple minutes.

"What?" Sakura crossed her arms defensively.

Kakashi just smirked into his book and patted her head, messing up her hair and making Sakura mutter angrily as she tried to smooth it down.

"Ah-ha!"

They all looked up as Naruto threw a kunai into the bushes, crowing about finding the enemy. Instead, they all repressed laughs as a poor, frightened rabbit came streaking out.

"Ah! Mr. Bunny I'm so sorry!" Naruto flailed.

Sakura sighed.

Sasuke facepalmed.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the bunny's fur. "Everybody duck!"

Without thinking, Sakura dropped to the ground, fear and adrenaline pumping faster as something rushed above her head so fast that it creating a sharp whistle. There was a thud, and Sakura glanced up only to regret doing so.

That was one large sword.

And there was an equally large man standing on top of that.

Suddenly the Demon Brothers from before did not seem so scary compared to this man. The very air around them seemed to plummet in temperature, and Sakura forgot how to breathe. The rogue's eyes were dark and merciless, and his voice was equally terrifying.

"Well if it isn't Sharingan Kakashi, the famous Copy Ninja." Their latest opponent drawled.

Beside her, Sasuke sucked in a sharp breath.

Before Sakura could open her mouth to ask him what was wrong, the world erupted into violence. The man –who Kakashi had referred to as Zabuza –and her sensei clashed together like titans, weapons and jutsu flying seemingly chaotically, but if Sakura concentrated she could see the give-and-take rhythm of battle. Both men fought with experience, their bodies moving almost unconsciously, their minds focused two, three steps ahead of every move they made.

Sakura was awed.

And then Naruto and Sasuke somehow teamed up (who would have thought?) and helped Kakashi defeat this monster of a man. And Sakura was left standing in front of Tazuna.

Useless.

She scowled at herself, berated herself, but she knew that she would not have been any help anyway. She was weak…

Just as Kakashi was about to take the final blow, senbon flew from the trees and embedded themselves into Zabuza's neck. Sakura gasped, her eyes following the direction that the senbon had originated from. Even Kakashi seemed surprised at the entrance of yet _another_ mysterious ninja.

"Hunter-nin." Kakashi explained to his students as the masked Kiri-nin knelt next to Zabuza's still body.

Kakashi and the hunter-nin briefly exchanged words, the latter's voice oddly familiar. Sakura felt a thrill go down her spine as she stared intently at the boy –judging by the height of this ninja, he had to be quite young. There was something about his presence that made her instincts scream, but whether she wanted to run to him or run away from him she couldn't tell.

The masked ninja hauled Zabuza's enormous body over his shoulder and turned to bow his head at them. Despite the mask, Sakura felt the boy's eyes fall on her, and it was like time had fallen still. She swore she could feel his gaze zero in on her with such intensity that her mind stuttered to a halt. She saw his head tilt down ever-so-slightly, and somehow she knew that his eyes were on the bracelet upon her wrist.

And then he was gone. Sakura let out the breath she had been holding in both relief and disappointment.

But then Kakashi-sensei had to go and collapse!

Naruto exclaimed loudly in panic as he and Sakura ran to their unconscious teacher. Sasuke and Tazuna worked together to create a makeshift cot on which they could transport Kakashi back to Tazuna's home. Everyone was on high alert now as they approached the village, a half-built bridge emerging from the fog in an ominous greeting. They were all quiet, as if expecting more A-ranked missing nin to start popping out from every shadow.

Sakura did not say a word when they reached Tazuna's house, heading to the bed provided for her and collapsing in it. But she did not fall asleep. Removing the string of beads from her wrist, Sakura twined the trail of tiger's eye through her fingers and stared at it long through the night.

* * *

><p>Tazuna's house felt… well, if not safe than it felt safer than any other part of this country. About half a mile away from the main village and out of sight of the road, Team 7 gradually began to relax. Kakashi had finally woken after two days and they got back to training. That day Kakashi had explained the concept of chakra molding to them, or more precisely, its uses for walking up buildings, trees, and on water.<p>

Everyone was surprised to see that Sakura grasped the theory immediately. Hell, Sakura was the most surprised out of all of them that she was better than her teammates at _something. _She had wanted to spend the rest of the day perfecting her control, but Kakashi ordered her to go watch over Tazuna. She pursed her lips in displeasure, but did not have the courage to protest.

Eventually Tsunami began cooking dinner, and Sakura helped her. Sakura had the brat Inari set the table while she went to go inform Kakashi that dinner was ready. Tazuna's family was already sitting around the table when her three teammates came in for dinner.

As usual, Naruto managed to get into an argument with someone (this time Tsunami's kid, Inari) about his naïve ideals. Sakura knew Naruto seemed to look at the world through rose-tinted eyes, she supposed it was inevitable that he would clashed with a kid as negative as Inari. The argument got to the point that Naruto once again made some impossible promise, and before Sakura knew what was happening, the blonde boy was zipping out of the house.

"Er, what just happened?" Sakura turned to her remaining teammate.

"The dobe is being a dobe." Was Sasuke's answer.

_Thanks for nothing. _Sakura rolled her eyes and began helping Tsunami clean up the dishes and the kitchen, Tazuna helping a limping Kakashi back to his room while Sasuke went to get ready for bed. When Sakura finished cleaning up, she went to the room that she was sharing with her teammates only to find Sasuke by himself, sharpening his kunai.

"Where's Naruto?" She asked him, looking around the room as if the blonde might spontaneously appear.

Sasuke just snorted. "Why do I care?"

Sakura's brow ticked dangerously and she resisted the urge to smack the arrogant boy. Without another word –after all, who was she to speak to the great and mighty Uchiha brat? –Sakura turned around and began preparing herself for bed.

She woke some hours later with a frown on her face. Turning her head to the side, Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of Naruto's untouched sleeping bag. He had never come back inside.

Jumping up, Sakura quietly moved through the house, approaching the back door. She grabbed a gas lantern from beside the door and carefully lit it. Standing on the porch, she called for her teammate. "Naruto? Naruto!"

Silence answered her.

Ignoring the worry curling in her stomach, Sakura placed the lantern on the edge of the porch and stepped off of it, carefully approaching the dark forest. The moon was high overhead and quite bright, and to the east the sky was beginning to lighten with the coming of morning. Golden light flickered across the ominously still trees, Sakura's shadow lengthening as she got further away from the lantern.

"Naruto?" Her voice was lower now.

Sakura frowned stepped into the cover of the trees, careful to make sure that the distant light of the lantern stayed within her sight.

She came upon a small opening in the trees, and there in the middle was a drowsy Naruto, looking quite dazed. Relief spread through her, and then frustration and her teammate's sheer and utter _stupidity_.

"Naruto!" Sakura snapped, placing her hands on her hips.

The blonde's head whipped up and he smiled at her. "Hey Sakura-chan! You'll never guess who I just met –"

"Shut it, baka!" Sakura smacked his head, making the boy whimper. "Do you have any idea the danger you put yourself in? Falling asleep in the middle of the forest _at night_ is stupid enough, but when we are in _freakin' hostile grounds?! _What if one of Gato's men had found you, eh? What if they had been spying on Tazuna and stumbled across your helpless, stupid self?"

Naruto wilted with each passing word, Sakura's famous scolding tone punishing him worse than anything the academy teachers could have produce. Dramatic tears ran down his face as the blonde begged for mercy from his temperamental teammate, throwing her arms around her legs and promising to never do it again.

Sakura sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let's just go back to the house, ne?"

Naruto immediately jumped up and ran towards the house, unwilling to take the chance of Sakura sadistically throwing things at his back in emphasis.

However Sakura did not immediately follow him. The air around her seemed to shift and she paused, glancing warily around the trees. She swore that she felt someone watching her, and frowned at the thought. Quickly she turned to go after Naruto, suddenly quite eager for the illusion of safety that Tazuna's home offered.

* * *

><p>Haku decided that he like the boy, as he began walking away from the stunned Naruto, leaving the blonde to his embarrassment (although Haku had been mistaken for a girl many times and was hardly offended anymore). Perhaps, if things had been different, they could even have been good friends. It seemed that the Konoha ninja were just full of surprises.<p>

His thoughts turned to the events of three days ago, when his master had confronted the bridge builder and his bodyguards. Haku had been surprised to see a team of Konoha genin and their instructor one a mission as dangerous as this. Then again, judging by the surprise on the sensei's face, it would seem that the man Tazuna had not been quite honest with his bodyguards about the situation in Wave Country. Haku felt momentary pity for the Konoha ninja, knowing that Zabuza would probably kill them all. What a waste of life.

His attention had been focused on Zabuza for the entire fight after the Konoha jounin revealed himself to be very powerful. It had been a long time since Haku had seen Zabuza struggle to take down an opponent. And then when those genin had interfered and helped Kakashi defeat Zabuza, Haku was almost frozen in shock.

But at the sight of Zabuza's imminent death, he stepped in, easily slipping into the role of a Kiri-hunter. Just in time he was able to forestall Kakashi's attack and take Zabuza away to recover.

But then he saw pink.

Just like so many years ago, the color floated on the wind out of the corner of his eye, and Haku could not stop himself from looking. It happened every time he caught sight of the color, hope would well up within him only to be destroyed when it wasn't _her._ He steeled himself for another disappointment.

But then her viridian eyes stared back at him.

_Sakura._

Haku felt the air leave his lips in a rush, and he gripped Zabuza's unconscious body with unnecessary force, as if to physically anchor himself. He had almost convinced himself that he was seeing an illusion of some sort, until he glanced at her wrist for confirmation.

And there was the bracelet.

Haku felt an old, familiar ache begin to bloom deep within his chest, and he resisted the urge to grab her as well; take her with him, keep her, hold her, _his._ He stared again into those beautiful, still so very innocent eyes, so bright, so lively.

He had to leave before he did something that he would regret. And so Haku teleported away with Zabuza in tow, appearing in a nearly empty room with two cots and a small kitchen. Haku carefully placed his master upon one of the cots and immediately began seeing to his wounds, cleaning them and wrapping them in gauze. The familiar actions kept his mind busy, but only for so long. When there was nothing left to do but sit and wait for Zabuza to awaken, Haku's thoughts unleashed themselves in a torrent of emotions.

_Sakura._

It was her. It _had_ to be her.

She was there, she was alive, and she had grown so beautifully. Pushing up his sleeve on his right arm, Haku's fingers alighted upon the beads of jade which encircled his wrist. Then Haku clenched his hands in his lap, his throat tightening. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

They were on opposite sides of the battlefield.

Oh cruel fate.

As night fell on the second day, Haku had begun to worry about his master. Zabuza had showed no signs of waking anytime soon, and Haku was out of herbs to ward off infection. So dressing in civilian clothing, Haku had gone out with a basket in hand, intent on collecting herbs as soon as possible, so as not to leave Zabuza unprotected for too long.

Imagine his surprise at stumbling across one of the Konoha boys, sleeping in the middle of the forest. Haku smiled softly in memory of his conversation with Naruto. Such a lively boy. If Haku had been younger, he might have mistaken Naruto for another spirit or forest sprite, just as he had with little Sakura.

"_Naruto!"_

Haku froze at the familiar female voice slicing through the quiet night. Speak and ye shall receive. His heart sped up and his pulse sounded in his ears, and though Haku knew that he shouldn't, he turned back around and swiftly made his way back to the glade.

And there she was.

Oh, she was glorious. Moonlight spilling across her cheekbones, turning what he knew to be peachy skin into smooth alabaster. Her eyes flashed brightly even in the dark of night, and those wild pink tresses seemed to flutter despite the lack of wind that morn.

Her hands were on her hips as she lectured her teammate, that smart tongue of hers lashing out with precise words. Despite her anger, she was still so very beautiful. Haku even wished that he had been in Naruto's place, if only to receive her attention.

After Sakura sent Naruto off to the house, she pause in the small clearing and carefully glanced around. Could she sense him?

As if the very thought made it true, Haku swore that Sakura's eyes landed right on him, and he forced himself not to flinch. But then her eyes passed over him, and she turned away to leave.

_No, don't leave. Not again._

_Look at me. Only me._

_Sakura._

Oh, but if wishes were kisses…. Haku's mouth thinned into a line as he reigned in his ridiculous thoughts and fled the forest.

* * *

><p><strong>I love writing Haku. He has a tendency to be a little obsessive (i.e. the Zabuza puppy syndrome), so don't be so surprised when he starts showing the same feeling towards Saku-chan. Plus he's such a sweetheart, I figured it wouldn't be so OOC if he had very affectionate thoughts and tended to see the world quite romantically (not sexual romance, the literatureartsy understanding of romantic).**

**Anyway, Read and Review my lovely readers!**

**~Lilithia**


	4. Chapter 4 - Reunion (part 2)

**Yay! Haku and Sakura finally come face to face in this chapter! In case you haven't noticed already, this story is not canon, so be ready for changes lol.**

**Note: Sakura switches from 'Haku-chan' to 'Haku-kun', signalling a change in the dynamic of their relationship to a more romantic turn.**

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO STOP ASKING**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter Four: Reunion (part 2)<span>_

_No._

_Please no._

_No no no no no no dear God no._

Sakura's finger grasped the kunai in her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned stark white. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to stall her tears, her chest feeling as if it would explode form her emotions.

This was a bad day with a capital 'B'. Kakashi was once again fighting a losing battle with Zabuza, Sasuke was killed by the masked boy, and then Naruto showed up and –

Cracked. His. Mask.

Sakura wanted to scream. She wanted to laugh and throw herself at him. She wanted to yell at him for killing Sasuke. She wanted to hold him and never let go. She wanted to shut down her emotions completely _why did it hurt so much_!

Love.

Betrayal.

Both were right and both were wrong. And the worse part was that Haku did not even seem to care that Naruto had shattered his mask. No, those depthless eyes of his were focused on her. Solely one her. Waiting for her reaction.

_You knew._

The first day that they had fought Zabuza, Sakura knew that the 'hunter-nin' had been looking at her. And what Naruto was saying to him… Haku had also been there that night that Naruto had slept in the forest. He had been there as well, watching them. Watching her.

She wasn't sure if she should be happy or not. He remembered her! He still watched her and had recognized her bracelet and…

He was her enemy.

Her heart broke.

And then Haku was turning away from her and engaging Naruto and battle, and Sakura felt her heart shattering further, smaller and smaller pieces. The people she cared about were trying to kill each other and she couldn't stop it! And not just because Kakashi had once again bound her to guarding Tazuna but because she was helpless in the face of their power.

Haku was amazing. When she had first met him, she had not known that he was a ninja. But just looking at him now made Sakura fear for her teammates and ashamed at her own weakness. What would someone like Haku see in weak little Sakura? She would never measure up…

_Enemy._

Right, enemy. Sakura shook her stupid, romantic thoughts from her head. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She could not afford to think like that! They were in the middle of a battle, dammit!

But then the world seemed to explode. Sakura gasped as red, _red!_ chakra burst forth from an enraged Naruto, whipping around like savage winds and heating the air around him. Sakura could only gap as fangs protruded from his mouth, his eyes turning feral and suddenly _Naruto_ of all people was kicking the shit out of someone like _Haku._

_They are going to kill each other._

Sakura felt her heart stutter at the very thought, and suddenly everything was slow motion.

Kakashi's hand was glowing bright with lightning, the chirping of birds screeching through the air as he aimed for the immobilized Zabuza. Her eyes followed as Haku darted towards them, towards Zabuza, and she knew what he was going to do, and she was not going to let him.

Without even thinking she let loose a volley of kunai towards Haku, knowing that he would dodge them. Haku avoided them subconsciously, only belatedly realizing what she had done, his eyes briefly flashing towards her.

And then Haku was slamming into Kakashi's side, Sakura's kunai having changed his trajectory so that he could not intercept the chidori. The lightning faded from Kakashi's hand as he lost control of his chakra in surprise, though the jounin still back flipped and landed on his feet. Without waiting Haku spun around and sent senbon towards Kakashi's ninken, and the dogs were forced to let go of Zabuza or be injured.

Zabuza began falling forward, but Haku caught him and supported the injured man, backing away from Kakashi, who was getting ready to attack again.

Their battle was interrupted by a slow, arrogant clapping.

Gato.

The slimy, back-stabbing bastard had sent Zabuza and Haku to the slaughter. Too bad that they managed to live. And they were not happy.

Despite Zabuza's injuries, which he probably should have died from by now, he was a monster on the battlefield against Gato's hired men. Haku stuck to his side, covering for Zabuza's obvious handicap since the man's arms were no longer functioning. A hundred men, and Zabuza and Haku sliced through them like a knife through butter.

Sakura couldn't take her eyes off Haku. The way he fought was so graceful and fluid, yet so deadly. She ached for him, to hold his hand, to heal his wounds and know that he was alive. Every time a thug got close to cutting him, Haku would effortlessly dodge, and yet Sakura could not help but catch her breath.

And then it was over.

The villagers had arrived with their torches and pitchforks and were finally ready to stand up for themselves. Kakashi turned to gather the wounded Sasuke in his arms while Tazuna ran to greet his family among the villagers. Even Naruto was grinning at the people, a ray of sunshine on such a gloomy day.

Only Sakura kept her eyes on the pair of missing-nin. Only Sakura saw Zabuza collapse and the silent panic which flashed across Haku's features.

She went to him.

"Haku-chan…" She whispered as she walked up behind him, the boy knelt down next to Zabuza, who's ragged breathing was becoming slower an heavier.

Haku turned to glance up at her, his eyes watery. Her chest tightened and she knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close.

"I'm sorry." She murmured into his ears.

"Haku…" Zabuza croaked, his eyes squinting at Sakura, blood dribbling from his lips as he spoke. "Who is this?"

Haku smiled sadly. "This is my forest sprite, Sakura."

Zabuza's eyes widened in recognition, while Sakura became confused.

"Forest sprite?" She asked.

Haku blushed.

At their interaction Zabuza chuckled. "So this is the girl…" He let out an ironic laugh. "And she just happens to show up here… of all places…"

Zabuza studied Sakura with narrowed eyes, causing her to feel uncomfortable. "Take care of the kid for me, would ya?"

Sakura nodded, her eyes sad. Sure, Zabuza was mean and rude, but he was dying… and Sakura knew that it would break Haku's heart. She empathized for the boy.

Zabuza's eyes went back to his charge and he locked gazes with Haku. In a softer voice, sounding so far away and in so much pain, Zabuza struggled to force out his last words. Haku leaned down to catch his rasping words.

"You only get one life…" Zabuza coughed up blood before continuing. "Take what you want… and never… let… go…"

Zabuza's last words grew softer until at last they trailed off into silence. The light faded from his eyes and his mouth went slack. Haku gripped his hands in the bandages on Zabuza's chest, clenching his teeth. But he did not cry.

Still, Sakura could feel his body trembling under her hand, and she saw the tears that he kept at bay. His right hand sought hers out, and their bracelets clinked against each other as he intertwined his fingers in hers.

Footsteps approached them, and Sakura looked up to see Kakashi and Naruto approaching them. Naruto's eyes held sympathy, and he nodded sadly at Haku in acknowledgment. Kakashi looked exhausted but otherwise unbothered at Zabuza's death, though her sensei raised an eyebrow when he saw Sakura holding hands with the boy who had been their enemy up until ten minutes ago.

Haku's eyes were still glued to Zabuza's body. "I want to bury him." He whispered.

Sakura and Naruto nodded in agreement, making Kakashi sigh, knowing that he would be dragged into helping them dig as well.

"Where is Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as she helped Haku to his feet, the boy leaning against her due to his injuries.

"With the villagers." Kakashi grunted as he heaved up the dead weight of Zabuza onto his shoulders. "They are going to heal him while we clean up."

Sakura nodded, she, Haku, and Naruto following Kakashi as they left the bridge. Haku directed them to a small outcrop overlooking the bay where he wanted to put Zabuza to rest. Sakura did not let him help them with the shoveling, chiding Haku about aggravating his wounds even further.

"So now what?" Naruto asked ever-so-eloquently after they had finished patting the dirt across the grave, Kubikiribōchō sunk halfway into the dirt before it like a headstone. The blonde turned to Haku with a hopeful smile. "You wanna come back home with us?"

"Naruto."

Kakashi's unamused voice made the boy's smile fall. The children turned to look at the jounin, whose dark gaze was leveled on Haku without any warmth. Defensively, Sakura tightened her hold around Haku's waist, who had his arm slung over her shoulders to stand.

"B-But sensei!" Naruto protested. "He's all alone now!"

"It doesn't matter." Kakashi replied with a cold voice. "If we were to take him back to the village they would arrest him and most likely execute him. Haku is no child, he is a dangerous rogue ninja associated with one of Konoha's most feared enemies. The village would never trust him."

Naruto looked offended, but both Haku and Sakura had resigned expressions. Both of them knew it was true, even if Naruto did not want to believe it.

"It's fine, Naruto-kun." Haku told him softly. "Zabuza has taught me enough that I can survive on my own."

Naruto looked about to protest, but he was surprised when Sakura silenced him with a look.

"Kakashi-sensei, perhaps you should take Naruto to check up on Sasuke." Sakura suggested with a no-nonsense tone.

Her sensei raised his eyebrows at his sweet little student taking charge, and giving him orders of all things! He could see that there was something going on between her and the Haku boy, but Kakashi decided that Sakura had proven herself to be level-headed. With a warning look at her, Kakashi took a hold of Naruto and teleported away.

* * *

><p>When the smoke cleared, Haku gingerly stepped away from Sakura's support, immediately missing her warmth.<p>

"Haku!" Sakura scolded, moving to grab him again in case he fell. But he held up his hand, forestalling her approach, and Sakura paused with a hurt look upon her face.

"I must leave now, Sakura-chan." Haku said gently.

"Why now?" She whispered. "You haven't even treated your injuries..."

"I shouldn't stay here." Haku sighed. "Those villagers know that I worked for Gato. I won't find any help here –"

"Then let me help!" Sakura muttered in frustration.

Haku gazed longingly at her, and Sakura felt her stomach clench. "It would only put off the inevitable. Being a rogue ninja is my life, Sakura. You know this."

Sakura nodded with a scoff. "Yes, yes I am well aware. No ninja village would accept a foreign missing-nin into their ranks. But that doesn't mean that you don't have time to at least get those treated."

Pointing at the numerous cuts and bruises that marred his body, Sakura dismissed Haku's wishes and grabbed his hand.

"What are you doing?" Haku asked with an amused voice.

"I'm taking you to the healer. Just put a henge on and they will never know who you are. I'm not letting you run off until you do this, Haku-chan." Sakura ordered.

Haku chuckled and wrapped his arm around Sakura once more, teleporting them to the village outskirts where he donned a henge and proceeded to receive treatment from the local healer.

* * *

><p>As night fell, Sakura insisted on accompanying Haku to the end of the bridge, where he would begin his next journey. They fell into companionable silence, Haku taking any and every opportunity to touch Sakura, to hold her hand, her waist, to run his fingers through her hair and trace her jawbone with his fingers. She enjoyed every second of it.<p>

They slowed to a stop at the edge of the river, facing the road which led away from Wave Country.

"You have everything? Supplies? Medicine?" Sakura could not help but pester in worry.

Haku chuckled and nodded. "I assure you, Sakura-chan, I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

Sakura nodded, knowing this, but still bit her lip in worry. Would they see each other again? It was enough of a miracle that they had run into each other here after all these years. Would Fate be so kind once more?

Haku's fingers threaded into her soft pink tresses, wondering at their silken touch. Sakura's hands lingered on his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath her palms. Slowly Haku drew her in for an embrace, burying his nose into the crook of her neck and inhaling her scent. Sakura did the same, pressing her face into his chest and listening to his heart speed up. He smelled crisp like winter, yet his warmth was far from it. They held onto each other in longing, desperation, words left unsaid hanging like the clouds above their heads.

Haku drew back but kept his body pressed to hers, leaning his forehead onto her own. "I'll find you." He breathed.

Sakura felt her toes curl at his words, her face lighting up in happiness. Haku memorized that expression, the sheer love and joy she found in him, her viridian eyes sparking with life, her smile making his heart flutter.

Sakura felt his hands move to cup her face, and then his lips were on hers.

Her first kiss was everything she could have dreamed, with the one person she had ever loved. Haku did not push, and neither did she, but their lips stayed firmly pressed together and their heartbeats echoed against one another through their chests. Sakura wrapped her arms around his middle, and Haku pulled away to briefly kiss her forehead and each cheek before once again planting his lips upon her own.

With final caresses, Haku reluctantly pulled away. Sakura allowed her arms to drop to her sides as Haku stroked her cheek one last time. Then he turned and leapt into the trees, the night swallowing him in its fold.

Sakura closed her eyes and smiled softly, her fingers lightly tracing her lips in his memory.

"_I'll find you."_

"We'll meet again, Haku-kun."

* * *

><p><strong>*dreamy sigh*<strong>

**I'm falling in love with my own character. Darn you, Haku, and your grasp on my feels BE STILL MY BEATING HEART -**

**I mean, um, I'm not crazy. I swear.**

**Review my lovelies!**

**~Lilithia**


	5. Chapter 5 - Growth

**And so time goes on. Fluffy fluff warning. ^_^**

**BTW if the first thing you think of when you hear 'Sprite' is a soda, you disgust me (joking, kinda). Sprites are beautiful creatures of nature's glorious magic dammit. Read more fantasy! (and consequently live the rest of you life wishing you lived in a novel. Damn you LOTR and Narnia!)**

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO (do I look like Kishi? no.)**

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><p><span><em>Chapter Five: Growth<em>

So much changed in the years to come. The Chunin Exams, Sasuke's defection, the naming of the Fifth Hokage.

Haku heard of it all. He never ventured too far from Fire Country, even if he knew that it might take years for an opportunity to allow him to find Sakura alone. In the meantime, he stayed alert for any gossip about Konoha –which seemed to be quite the troublesome village.

When he had heard about the Chunin Exams, Haku nearly tripped over himself like some green genin in his haste to reach Konoha. He seemed to reach the village just as the high alert had receded. Despite the increase of security, Konoha was in chaos. It was enough that Haku was able to slip into the village and look for her.

He found Sakura sitting in a hospital bed and his heart nearly failed him at the sight. Her hair was cute short now, and her face was weary, but he thought she was a beautiful sight. Lightly, he had touched her hair, stroking it as he like to do. She had asked him if he missed her long hair, but Haku had shaken his head at her. He had loved her short hair, it reminded him of those first days that they had met when they were small and he had mistaken her for a forest sprite. He still thought that she looked like a pixie, so out of place in the sterile environment of a hospital.

Despite knowing his protective nature of her, Sakura told him the whole story –Orochimaru's appearance, Sasuke's curse, and finally, Gaara unleashing his demon upon the village. Haku nearly cried at the sight of her entire torso wrapped in gauze, Sakura explaining how Gaara's sand had nearly crushed her diaphragm. He held her that night and kissed her, but with the village still on edge, Haku was forced to leave before dawn.

Only weeks later did Haku hear about Sakura's teammate defecting, the boy named Sasuke running off to join with that bastard Orochimaru. Even among missing-nin Orochimaru was detested, and very few in the black market were willing to work for or with the man and his minions. Haku longed to go comfort Sakura, knowing that she would have been devastated, but he had been in the middle of a high-stakes mission at the time, and in the end he never got to visit her.

Two years passed, and though Haku had been unable to visit Sakura, his heart stayed true. The jade beads that circled his wrist was like a permanent piece of her which he carried with him throughout the days.

At some point he heard the Godaime had accepted Sakura as her apprentice, and that Sakura was flourishing under her tutelage. Haku smiled for Sakura and felt pride at her accomplishments. The role of medic was perfect for his little sprite. After all, saving souls seemed to be her specialty.

His heart never stopped longing for her despite the flow of time, but Haku was able to throw himself into his work to drown out its sighs. He had garnered a dangerous reputation in the underworld, something Zabuza would no doubt have been proud of. He had two infamous titles now: The Ice Reaper, referring to his preference for assassination missions, and the Demon Hidden in Ice, referring to his deadly Ice Mirror technique. Haku preferred the first one, however he imagined Zabuza would be absolutely thrilled about the last one. It made Haku feel like he had inherited something from his deceased master, having a title akin to the Demon of the Hidden Mist.

Before he knew it, three years had passed.

And that was when he'd next heard news of his beloved.

"What's this?"

A gruff voice carried over the dingy bar which Haku was currently lounging in. Haku usually ignored most people around him, finding the usual rabble of the underground nothing more than uneducated thugs.

"The hell is she doing in the Bingo Book? She looks like she's twelve!"

"Heh, ya think that hair is natural?"

One of the men scoffed in the group crowding around what appeared to be the latest edition of the Bingo Book. "Please, there ain't no way pink hair is natural!"

Haku froze.

"I never heard of pink hair dye either though."

"It's not natural, idiot. Don't be stupid."

"But I'd sure like to check…" One of the men trailed off suggestively, and the group burst into rowdy guffaws of laughter. Haku's grip tightened dangerously around his drink.

"Heh, I agree with ya there bud! She's a beauty ain't she? Bet she's fiery in bed."

"Bit, young though, ain't she?"

"They're never too young!"

Another round of raucous laughter. Hm, looks like he would be killing today after all.

"Excuse me."

The men, a group of six roughed up missing-nin, all probably no more than genin ranked, glanced up as a cold aura suddenly engulfed him. They were all in their late twenties, early thirties, dirty and quite unattractive. They probably made up some pathetic bandit force who terrorized the local travelers. They made quite a mistake coming this close to the city, where the bigger fish liked to swim.

"Eh, whatchya want, lady face?" One man sneered at the rather feminine man before them.

Haku merely smiled serenely. "May I suggest page 24?"

The men paused, before the one directly in front of the book took a hold of the pages and flipped to the aforementioned page. And there, staring blankly out at them, was a picture of Haku. They gasped when they read the title.

Haku no longer kept his hair up in a bun, rather it had become so heavy that it was just easier to pull the long dark chocolate strands into a ponytail which ran the length of his back, side bangs slipping forward and framing his face as they always had.

When he had hit the age of fifteen, Haku had completely shot skywards. Though he had been quite short as a boy, now he reached the same height that Zabuza had once been, though he was still just as lean of muscle. Due to his height change Haku now wore an outfit similar to the standard Kirigakure jounin uniform beneath a dark green haori lined with dark blue trimmings.

"The Demon Hidden in the Ice…" one of the men whispered fearfully.

Haku smiled coldly at them. "You should not talk about her that way."

"What, that girl? Why would you –"

Their protests died as blood gurgled up in their throats, their blood literally freezing due to Haku's ice jutsu. They were dead without too much mess. Haku heard a terrified squeak behind him and turned to see the poor bar tender nearly pissing his pants.

"Ah, I apologize." Haku murmured. "Allow me to clean this up for you."

After swiping the Bingo Book which the thugs had left behind, Haku turned to leave the establishment.

A sheet of ice appeared beneath the six bodies as Haku lifted his hand, directing the ice sheet to carry the corpses outside, where the young rogue discarded them in a nearby waste dump. Glancing around the dilapidated city streets, Haku took a porcelain mask from his waistband and attached it to his face.

He stopped at the edge of the city to open the Bingo Book, quickly flipping the pages until pink flashed across his eyes. Stopping on the correct page, Haku couldn't help but smirk at the stats on Sakura. Though she was only chunin, and those rarely ever got mentioned in the Bingo Book, she had earned her entry by defeating an S-ranked criminal.

"Akasuna Sasori, huh?" Haku murmured. "It seems I am overdue to see you, my little sprite."

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><p>It was much easier now to sneak into Konoha than it had been directly after Orochimaru's attack three and a half years ago. Of course, Haku had been a mere chunin in levels of strength, and now he was easily jounin, barely ANBU. However that was the extent of Haku's fortune. He had no idea where Sakura might live, and spent a good half of his night simultaneously dodging village patrols and glancing into windows. He dared not flare his chakra, and so was forced to resort to the oldest method of the ninja arts –stealth.<p>

Somehow, he was not surprised to find her living in an apartment near the hospital. He was glad that he had decided to start his search in that district in the first place, for Konoha was only a village in name, and was one of the largest cities in all of the Elemental Nations.

Sakura's apartment was near the city centre, so her security was not as tight as most ninja's would be. Still, Haku was nearly incapacitated twice by the various traps that she had stationed around her living space.

"Who's there?" Her voice cut through the darkness of her apartment, having woken when she sensed her traps being tripped.

The lights of the main room flickered on and Haku felt his heart warm at the sight of her, dressed in a tank top and shorts for sleeping, a kunai in one hand and her other fist glowing dangerously green.

The lights revealed Haku where he was standing across the room, and her viridian eyes widened at the sight of him. When Haku sent her a lopsided smile, the pinkette let out a joyous laugh and flung herself at him, the kunai safely tucked into the waistband of her shorts. Haku swept her up into his arms and spun her around, kissing her soundly on her lips.

Playfully, Sakura bumped her fist on his shoulder, sending him a mock glare. "You made me wait three years you bastard."

"Gomen, gomen." Haku murmured as he nuzzled his face into her neck. He had to bend down to do so, since the top of Sakura's head barely reached his shoulder now. "If it makes you feel better, every year apart from you felt like a century, my little forest sprite."

"Flatterer." Sakura huffed, though her eyes twinkled up at him with so much adoration that Haku was sure that he was going to float away with ecstasy, drown in those pools of bright jade.

The murderer, thief, monster that he was did not deserve a creature as precious as her, but Haku would be damned if he ever let anyone else have her. And though Sakura would never associate him with the word 'selfish', Haku was well aware of how greedy he was when it came to the pinkette. Controlled and polite most of the time, Haku was possessive when it came to Sakura. If he could, he would spirit her away to a remote cottage in the mountains, where no man would ever be able to gaze upon her face or receive her attention. Hell, he even got jealous when he glanced up and saw pictures of her and Naruto hanging on the wall.

Sakura's giggle interrupted his thoughts. "Maa, Haku-kun you got taller. Waaaay taller." She then pouted slightly. "We were the same height last time I saw you!"

Haku chuckled. "That was over three years ago, my little sprite."

Sakura rolled her eyes and finally released her hold on him, beckoning him to follow her into the kitchen where she pulled out a tea set and began making tea.

"Why do you call me that?" Sakura asked him and she set the tea down on the table between them.

Haku smiled as he sipped her tea, the jasmine flavor soothing his tongue. He did not remember when he had let slip his favorite flavor, but somehow she always knew.

"Would you prefer the term 'faerie'?" he asked her.

Sakura furrowed her brows. "What does that have to do with it?"

"When I first met you in that forest so many years ago, I thought you were a spirit of some sort. A forest sprite or fearie." Haku admitted with a fond smile.

Sakura blushed. "W-What? Really? It's the hair, isn't it?"

Haku laughed and leaned forward, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger, tugging on it teasingly. "Yeah."

Sakura laughed at his honest answer and they fell into a familiar rhythm, exchanging stories of their adventures during their time apart. Sakura was fascinated by his years as a rogue, never flinching from the less-than-savory aspects of being a criminal, not judging him for the blood staining his hands. Haku was amused by her own stories, of her friends and family and the general whirlwind of chaos that was her team. He would admit to being jealous of those men, who got to see her every day and had been there for her victories and defeats. Naruto especially, for when Sakura spoke of him her eyes shone with such pride and love that Haku had to remind himself that she only saw him as a brother. Still, he cut off her hero-worship of the blonde by slipping out of his seat and catching her in surprise by the lips.

When they pulled away Sakura was flushed, but she smirked through it, her eyes glinting mischievously as she asked, "You were jealous of Naruto, weren't you?"

Haku could only smile guiltily, not bothering to deny the fact. Sakura kissed him again, because he had the most powerful puppy eyes she had ever seen in her life, and when he smiled like that, like a little child caught stealing from the cookie jar, her heart melted and pooled warmth into every part of her body.

"It's nearly four-thirty in the morning. You must be tired, Haku-kun." Sakura murmured against his lips as she stood up and picked up the tea tray, placing it next to the sink in her kitchen.

"Would you like to use the guest room tonight?" She asked as she led him into the living spaces of her apartment.

Haku gave her a look, and Sakura chuckled softly. "Alright, alright. You can sleep in my room tonight."

"Where else would I sleep?" Haku asked her teasingly.

Sakura rolled her eyes but her grin was permanently plastered to her face whenever he was with her. Haku showered in her bathroom and borrowed her toothpaste and brush. She had several pairs of men's sweatpants for times when her teammates crashed at her place, which Haku used as his pajamas that night. When he emerged from the bathroom, feeling infinitely more alive after years on the road, he was drying his hair with a towel as a few rebel drops followed the planes of his pectorals.

The bright blush on Sakura's face was priceless. She covered her face with her hands and groaned into them. "No, Haku, don't do this to me."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Haku replied calmly, although the small smile on his lips spoke of his arrogance.

He threw the towel aside and climbed into bed with her, Sakura allowing him to wrap his arms around her and pull her into his arms. She eagerly curled into him, inhaling his familiar scent, pressing her ear against the warmth of his chest and listening to his heartbeat.

"I love you, Haku-kun." She murmured as she lightly pecked the center of his chest.

Haku sighed contentedly and squeezed her tighter, burying his face in her hair and savoring her sweet scent.

"I love you more than words can describe."

He was home.

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><p><strong>There will probably be one or two more chapters after this, depending on how long the ending ends up being. Like I said in the beginning, this was only meant to be a short story.<strong>

**WARNING: Next chapter will _definitely _change the rating of this story to M. Nothing pornographic, but sexytime will happen. Sexyfluff.**

**Review my lovely readers!**

**~Lilithia**


	6. Chapter 6 - Reverence and Worship

**Alrighty guys, I told everyone that there would be sexytime in this chapter. So don't say I didn't warn ya. *perverted giggle***

**WARNING: I hope you like citrus because this whole chapter is one hot juicy LEMON. Rated M people!**

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO.**

**ALSO, CHILDREN RUN FAR AWAY FROM THIS CHAPTER.**

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><p><span><em>Chapter Six: Reverence and Worship<em>

Warmth. That was the first sensation. Then breathing. Inhale, exhale, their chests rising and falling against each other. And then heartbeats, two as one, echoing through their veins.

Haku opened his eyes and his sight was greeted by bright pink. Sakura's hair cascaded across the pillows wildly, shiny and silky in the soft morning light. Her soft breath tickled his bare chest, her head curled under his chin, tucked into the crook of his neck. They were lying on the bed facing each other, Sakura curling her petite body into the shelter of his own, her arms wrapped around his middle where they belonged.

Haku was returning the embrace, one hand slipped under her tank top to rest on the dip of her waist, the other curled under body and resting against her shoulder blades, where his fingers had become entangled in her hair at some point during the night.

Letting out a contented sigh, Haku pulled her flush against him, burying his nose in her hair and letting out a long breath. Sakura mumbled in her sleep and turned into him, unconsciously rubbing her cheek against his collarbone and snuggling into his embrace, throwing a leg over his.

The hand that had been innocently resting on her waist began moving south, curiously following the curve of her body down her hips, over her rump, and down her thigh. Sakura hummed, pleased, opening her eyes and looking up at Haku.

She was so adorable in the morning, messy locks, lazy emerald eyes, and a small smile upon her lips. The arm around her back moved up to gently grasp her hair and tilt her head further back while Haku leaned down to place a languid kiss on her lips.

Without her permission, Sakura's lips were already moving against his own, unconsciously arching her back into him. Haku's tongue tapped her lips curiously, causing the pinkette to part her them in surprise. Eagerly Haku slipped his tongue into her mouth, patiently stroking hers until Sakura meekly returned his encouragement. At first they were both unsure of what to do, but Haku was determined to figure it out.

He opened his mouth wider against hers, and Sakura followed suit. Instinct had him wrapping his tongue around hers and tugging softly, causing the girl to mewl in the back of her throat. Excited by her reaction, Haku repeated the process, this time luring her tongue into his own mouth before his lips clamped down and he _sucked_. A moan shook Sakura's chest as she shuddered against him.

_Oh yes she liked that._

Not wanting to be outdone, Sakura decided to try the same move, allowing Haku's eager tongue to venture back into her mouth, coaxing it further with small, swirling strokes. When Haku's tongue was fully sheathed between her lips, Sakura sucked in, lightly scraping her teeth over the appendage as Haku pulled back with a dazed look on his face.

Time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other, the curious innocence of their eyes darkening into something akin to _hunger._

Sakura offered Haku a sheepish smile, unsure if she had kissed well or not. She had never become romantic with anyone before, and it was all so new and exciting and terrifying. The butterflies in her stomach were almost painful with need, a need for something that she did not know how to describe.

Haku leaned back down for another long kiss, this time pushing Sakura onto her back and leaning over her. Without a thought he slipped a knee between her thighs, steadying himself so that he could move his arms to better grasp her torso against him. The hand beneath her was still intertwined in her pink tresses, cupping her head as he plundered her mouth. His other hand had left her thigh and he now gripped the curve of her waist with pent-up excitement, slowing stroking up and down her ribcage.

Sakura was no longer idle either. Her hands were eagerly wrapped up in Haku's long hair, which spilled across the broad expanse of his back in smooth, straight layers. She held his face against hers, returning his open-mouthed kisses with equal fervor until both were deprived of oxygen, one hand lovingly stroking down his spine and kneading the muscles of his shoulders.

Breathless they pulled apart, Haku immediately turning to her dainty long neck, which he peppered with kisses, making her let out another satisfied gasp. The hand on her waist had pushed it up now, scrunching the fabric just below her breasts, his calloused fingers tracing across her abdomen.

Pulling away from her, Haku stared down at the blushing girl underneath him, her chest heaving, the tips of her aroused nipples standing tall against the thin fabric of her tank top. Her eyes were glazed and her lips were swollen, and heaven forgive him, but a feral and greedy satisfaction curled in his abdomen at the sight.

Glancing down, Haku froze when he saw a raised scar marring the expanse of Sakura's stomach, the width of a katana. The scar was wider than a katana wound normally was, but the color of the callous told Haku that it was probably due to poison. His fingers ghosted over the scar, then they dragged around her waist to stroke across her back, searching. And then he found the matching scar on the opposite end of Sakura's torso and the mental image of Sakura being run through by a sword had Haku seeing red.

"Sasori." Sakura explained to him softly.

Haku glanced into her eyes and held her gaze as his head traveled downwards, his lips brushing across the old wound. Sakura sucked in a sharp breath, but could not look away from the heat in Haku's eyes as his tongue darted out and traced the scar, her body arching unconsciously. And then Haku latched his lips around the mark and sucked harshly, before laving his tongue over the sensitive skin. Sakura cried out and her hands flew into his hair, gripping it ferociously.

It was as if fire spilled into their veins.

Suddenly the room was too hot, and their movements were not fast enough, and the need to touch the other was so overwhelming it was like a physical ache. Haku tore Sakura's shirt over her head and attacked her breasts, one hand gently but firmly kneading one mound, while he ran his teeth over the sensitive skin beneath the other.

Sakura cried out in pleasure, her hips bucking without permission. Haku moved his remaining leg to join the other between Sakura's thighs so that her legs cradled his hips, the weight of his body comforting against Sakura's lower regions. Haku was very attentive to Sakura's breasts, careful to lick and suck each mound with equal dedication. When his lips first enclosed over a sensitive bud, Sakura's head tilted back in a silent cry. He began by sucking gently, tentatively tapping his tongue against the nipple.

She let loose a long, deep moan that sent electricity down Haku's spine, and without meaning too, Haku responded with a harsher suck. Sakura's fingernails bit into his shoulder and she moaned even louder. Haku hummed in masculine approval into her breath and Sakura let out a soft curse as the vibrations shook her chest.

Eager to practice the procedure again, Haku switched to the next nipple, this time starting with harsh suckling. Sakura practically screamed and threw her head back wildly. His teeth scraped around the areola before carefully nibbling on her nipple, and Sakura was sure she was going to die of ecstasy at this point.

Her fingers clenched in his hair and she forced him to release her nipple with a small 'pop', the noise adding fire to the mysterious heat building in her lower abdomen. Sakura dragged him upwards and he willingly obeyed, their mouths crashing together again, this time slightly more familiar with the action of kissing.

Haku pressed his hips against Sakura, and his hardness made her eyes fly open as she gasped.

"H-Haku…" Sakura murmured nervously.

The boy pulled back from her neck, frowning at the look in her eye. Had he done something wrong?

"I-I never…" Sakura trailed off, her eyes looking away in embarrassment. Understanding dawned in Haku's eyes and he swiftly kissed her forehead, causing Sakura to glance at him in surprise.

"I know." Haku whispered softly, his eyes sparkling with warmth and affection as his hands resumed stroking her sides.

"But, have you?" Sakura asked him with worried eyes, hurt briefly flashing across her green orbs.

Haku could have laughed at the thought of himself with anyone other than her, but it would probably only serve to anger the little spitfire even more. "Of course not," Haku nuzzled her cheek. "You know my soul belongs to you."

_Of course, that did not mean he hadn't heard of a few tricks during his travels._

Sakura's eyes softened, and Haku smiled serenely back at her. He drew her in for another mind-blowing kiss, making every fiber of her being tingle with energy, her toes curling and her breathing heavier. Then his lips were blazing down her body, between the valley of her breasts and along the muscles of her abdomen. He briefly swirled his tongue in her belly-button, causing a curious mix between a giggle and a moan emerge from her lips.

Heavens but she was beautiful. Her body laid before him like an offering, her skin glowing with perspiration, her moans like gospel to his ears. The combination of pink hair and those bright viridian eyes –now darkened with want –made Haku remember his childhood vision of a sprite. But no, now she was far more than silly adolescent notions. She was a goddess, breathtaking and magical, a beautiful angel and saving grace who rescued him from his darkness. Every shred of happiness he had he owed to her, and Haku was intent on worshipping every inch of her body.

His fingers hooked in the fabric of her shorts, grasping the hem of both it and her panties. Sakura's voice caught in her throat, and before she could protest Haku had ripped the offending clothing down her legs.

Haku shushed her before she could push him away, tracing circles on her hips and affectionately licking and kissing her hipbones. He could smell her arousal, so close, but he would not partake in her treasure until she was ready.

Though her body was still strung taut, Haku felt her muscles ease ever so slightly, and he glanced up. The trust that shone in her eyes genuinely touched his heart, and his spirit soared. He was far from worthy of her, but he would never question how fate had managed to place her in his path.

Sakura held her breath as Haku's chocolate eyes darkened to pitch black, capturing her gaze and paralyzing her thoughts as he wrapped his arms under her legs, pushing her thighs over his shoulders and _oh god he was going __**there**__ –_

Sakura let out a long, low moan as she felt the entire expanse of Haku's tongue cover her opening and drag slowly upwards. And then he was suckling _oh dear god_ and she felt his tongue trace the edges of her lower lips, so much pleasure building inside her hips that it was _painful_, and without thought she was arching into his face and –

He thrust his tongue into her.

Sakura screamed his name, and she was sure he would push her away with the force which her hips snapped upwards, but no, Haku's hands planted themselves firmly under each butt cheek and encouraged her hips even further. She felt his entire mouth cover her vagina, sucking and licking, and then he began thrusting his tongue in and out, mimicking the motions which she knew would come later. His tongue pressed up against the roof of her lower caver, and then _curled_, dragging roughly against the tantalizing nerves of her inner walls, which clamped down tightly on his tongue. Haku groaned at the sensation, and the resulting reverberations of his moan shook her very core and Sakura screamed his name again as the coil in her nether region released.

Haku eagerly lapped up her juices, placing a last affectionate peck on her pearl, before rising up and catching her lips with his. Sakura tasted herself on his lips and was too bewildered at the fact to even decide if she should be disgusted or aroused. Haku's lips were smothered by her essence, even a bit dribbled down his chin, and the smacking noises that it made against her lips lighted a new heat within her.

Haku's hand slipped between them and began fondling Sakura, easily arousing her again due to the remaining sensitivity of her earlier release. He was delighted to find her already so hot and so wet, but he was in no rush despite this. Languidly he traced her lower lips, tweaking her pearl before sliding one long digit into her.

Sakura cried out and Haku covered her mouth with his, eager to swallow her cries. He set a slow pace, adding another finger and pressing them up to drag against her inner walls. Sakura keened lowly into his mouth. He responded by gently beginning a scissoring motion, making Sakura gasp as his strokes slowly but surely became harsher. Finally he added three fingers, pumping his hand faster and faster until he felt her body beginning to shudder again. Knowing that she was about to go over the edge, Haku slammed his fingers into her and set his thumb on her nub rubbing furiously as his fingers _curled._

Once again Sakura came again, this time her moan swallowed by his mouth as her lips fell open and he sucked on her tongue.

"Haku…" She sighed as his lips left hers and kissed down her throat. She made a small noise in the back of her throat, her eyes blinking dazedly as she tried to find coherency. "But… what about you?"

Haku made a shushing sound kissed her jawbone. "My pleasure is to give you yours, my little sprite."

Sakura made a dissatisfied noise, and Haku chuckled in response. Relenting to her wishes, he began to kick off his pants. Sakura stared as his manhood was revealed, gulping at the sight of it. It was… odd. She was a medic, and had seen the illustrations before of course, but never had she gazed upon the male organ in this situation before. It was not particularly beautiful or awe-inspiring as she had heard older women describe, in fact she felt trepidation crawl under her skin at the thought that _that thing_ was supposed to fit _inside_ of her. Her eyes flickered upwards and was slightly relieved to see the same nervousness reflected in Haku's eyes.

Despite its hardness, Haku tamped down his arousal to focus on his beloved. He saw her reluctance but was hardly offended. As he crawled back on top of Sakura he soothed her with his hands, caressing up her legs and over her hips, up and down her sides, and pulled her flush against him, Sakura shifting uncomfortably as his penis pressed against her just under her belly-button. He was so warm, so very hot, she was sure that they were both burning with fever.

Haku gently urged her legs to wrap around his hips, his arms locking around her shoulders, and he gave her one long, languid kiss before pulling back and leaning his forehead against her. Their eyes met, and Sakura conveyed every ounce of love and trust she had to him, scared but eager. With her permission given, Haku let slip a smile and brushed his lips over her forehead.

"I'm going to break you barrier, Sakura." He murmured soothingly. "Then I'll let you set the pace."

Unsure of what that all entailed, all Sakura could do was nod and wrap her arms around Haku's shoulders. He did not enter her right away, but whispered for her to relax, his hands moving up and down her sides, briefly giving attention to her breasts as Haku kissed her again.

And when he felt her body finally relax, he thrust into her.

Sakura yelped in surprise. Haku stilled once he was fully sheathed inside of her, waiting for Sakura's muscles to unclench. Tears pricked her eyes and Haku nuzzled her cheek, silently begging her not to cry. Swallowing her doubt, Sakura eventually glanced at Haku and nodded when the pain had faded to a dull ache that was more discomfort than pain.

To her surprise Haku rolled them both over so that Sakura was sitting uncomfortably on top of him, straddling his waist. He relaxed his body beneath hers and placed his hands on the swell of her hips, thumbs tracing circles on the hipbones.

"Ride me." Haku said thickly, his voice tight with restrained desire, soft and needy.

How could she not obey?

Unsure of her movements, Haku's hands guided her up and down, Sakura hissing the first couple times that she sat down on his member. Eventually she found an easy rhythm, up, down, up, down, instinctively grinding her hips into him and forcing Haku to groan. Feeling emboldened, Sakura leaned over and simultaneously ground her hips into his while she attacked his mouth.

Haku seemed to growl at her actions, growing harder still inside of her. Sakura gasped as Haku gripped her waist and rolled them over, taking control. Knowing that Sakura would now only feel pleasure, Haku released his instincts and slammed into her. Sakura cried out in ecstasy as the friction between them became impossibly hot, sparks flying between their eyes as all thoughts flew from their minds.

The world narrowed down to the two of them, eyes locked, sweaty bodies, feverish touches and breathless cries. Haku did not stop when he felt her orgasm that time, but instead sped up his pace, seeking his own release. Sakura gasped his name when he did not even slow down, but never asked him to stop, only encircling him with her arms and lifting her hips to meet his again and again, their mouths fighting for dominance. She knew he was about to release when she saw his composure slip, and his face contorted in ecstasy and _dear lord_ he was so _beautiful_. His hips collided with hers one last time and Haku buried his face in her neck with a cry as he spilled his seed into her, an unusual but warm feeling spreading through her lower regions.

Haku collapsed halfway on top of her, his nose nuzzling her neck while his arms lazily wrapped around her waist. He pulled out but did not pull away, and Sakura smiled at the weight of his torso against hers. Fatigue pressed down on the two first-time lovers, and Haku let out a contented sigh, his body relaxing into her.

"I'm gonna need new sheets." Sakura muttered as she closed her eyes and turned her face downwards to bury her nose in Haku's wild hair.

Haku chuckled into her collarbone, kissing her softly.

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><p><strong>*cough cough* Erm, blame it on the hormones. And now for a cold shower…<strong>

**LOL Review my lovelies!**

**~Lilithia**


	7. Chapter 7 - Epilogue

**This will be the last chapter for this series. Yay I finally finished a story! Now I actually have to concentrate on the big ones... **

**P.S. I (still) don't own Naruto.**

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><p><em><strong>Ten years later…<strong>_

"But okaa-san, what if the other kids don't like me?"

Sakura looked down at her (adorable, simply adorable) son and smiled when he gripped her hand tighter. "Well you already know Inojin and the Uzumaki kids. Besides, Rei-chan, I do not believe it's possible for anyone not to like you."

And it was probably true. Rei looked exactly like his father had at that age, except for the pale skin – delicate features, a soft smile, and large doe eyes that melted females wherever he went. Rei hated having long hair, which made him look feminine, and so kept his hair short like his mother did, although he tied it in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was also just as soft-spoken as Haku, however Sakura had seen glimpses of her famous temperament whenever her son was particularly aggravated. It would probably become more prominent as Rei grew older and learned to focus that violent temper in battle.

They were walking out of the clan district, the snowflake symbol for the Yuki clan proudly displayed on the back of Rei and Sakura's robes. Haku's family name was now an official clan of Konohagakure, much to Kirigakure's displeasure. Naruto had been ecstatic of course, and had granted the Yuki clan the lands right next to the Yamanaka forest near a lake so that Haku's descendants could practice their ice release. Although Haku never mentioned reviving his clan, Sakura and him were certainly well on their way to doing so.

Rei was slightly comforted by his mother's positive words, however a frown still marred his features as he glanced anxiously at the rooftops of Konoha while they walked to the academy.

"He'll come, Rei-chan." Sakura assured her son as they approached the academy gates. "He always keeps his promises."

Rei attempted to keep his face stoic, although he failed miserably at it. "I understand if he doesn't." Her son murmured with false bravado. "His missions are important."

Other parents were arriving with their children, saying their last goodbyes at the gates of the academy for first-year students. Mimicking many mothers present, Sakura knelt down in front of little Rei and gently pulled him into a hug.

"You are about to start on an amazing journey, _satoshi_." Sakura murmured as she pulled back, fighting the dampness in her eyes. "Being a shinobi is dangerous. But you'll become strong, like your father and I. And you'll make lifelong friendships and see exotic lands…"

Rei's eyes lit up at the thought of traveling, having always had a thirst to explore. As a young boy Haku and Sakura had told him many tales of their adventures before bed time. The walls were covered in pictures and mementos from far off lands and thankful customers (Sakura even had a hand-painted fan from the Fire daimyo himself!).

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura stood up and smiled widely as the only other teammate of Team 7 approached with his wife. Though he was Hokage now, Naruto and the rest of their friends hardly ever treated him differently. Sometimes it seemed like even Naruto forgot his status, acting just as carefree and jubilant as always.

"Naruto!" Sakura and the blonde quickly embraced, and then Sakura turned to embrace the Hyuuga matriarch.

"Neh, Hinata-chan, are you ready for our little ones to finally face the world?" Sakura teased as she glanced down at Himawari, who was blushing at little Rei. Sakura had to consciously suppress her laughter as Rei shyly waved at Himawari, only for the little girl to 'eep!', turn bright red, and hide behind Hinata's skirt. Oh some things never changed!

Himawari's parents had similarly hilarious reactions. While Hinata remained collected about her daughter's entrance into the academy, Naruto's was most definitely not.

"Noooo!" Naruto wailed, sweeping down to gather his daughter in his arms and hug her to his chest. "I don't want my little girl to grow up! She can't! Hima-chan, I forbid you from growing up!"

Hinata sent an exasperated smile at her husband. "Naruto-kun…" She admonished gently.

"Dickless, I do believe your daughter is losing oxygen." A bland voice interrupted them from behind.

The group turned around to greet another couple from the infamous Rookie 9, Naruto fuming. Ino was in the process of smacking her husband upside the head for using inappropriate language in the presence of the children while simultaneously greeting her best friend.

"Hey Forehead!"

"Pig." Sakura smiled as Rei ran up to his best friend, the awkward and serious Inojin.

The two boys had bonded the moment that they met, their quiet and serious attitudes clicking instantly. Rei's politeness always seemed to temper Inojin's natural rudeness. They had even come up with their own training schedule, much to the exasperation of Ino and Sakura. The two boys hardly ever bothered to actually play and act like children. They were almost as bad workaholics as their fathers!

"By the way, Naruto, you might want to find your son before he destroys something else." Ino commented offhandedly.

Hinata frowned. "I thought he said he would go on ahead to meet us at the school." She turned to glanced at her husband.

Naruto stopped coddling his daughter and froze, his face turning ashen. "Oh no."

There was a large crashing noise in the direction of Ichiraku following Naruto's words. The parents all laughed as Himawari was shoved into her mother's arms and Naruto dashed off in the direction of the disturbance.

Sakura fixed a stern look on Rei and Inojin. "I trust that neither of you are getting any ideas?"

Both boys quickly shook their heads, Rei looking adamant while Inojin sniffed arrogantly, as if offended by the very thought of imitating Bolt.

"Come on now, you'll all be late if you wait any longer." A new voice sighed, Shikamaru walking to the group with his wriggling son thrown over his shoulder, followed by a smirking Temari. Neither of the parents bothered to ask why, as they all knew that Shikadai had probably tried to run away from the academy. Shikamaru was followed by Choji and his daughter, Chouchou, although Karui was currently on a mission in her home village.

"I hate you." Shikadai grumbled as Shikamaru placed him on the ground. His father just shrugged and his mother continued to smirk.

"Off you go kids!" Ino stated loudly as she began to round up the children and usher them towards the academy gates.

Only Rei lingered next to Sakura, anxiously glancing up at the surrounding rooftops. There was a suspicious sniffle from his direction. "He said he'd come…" Rei whispered lowly, not intending for anyone else to hear.

Sakura smiled and glanced up into the tree whose shade they were standing under. A shadow darker than the rest moved, and suddenly a silent figure stood behind her, clad in black with an ANBU mask. Rei still preoccupied with staring at the ground, did not notice. The figure removed his mask and kissed his wife on the cheek before flaring his chakra.

Rei gasped loudly and whipped around, his eyes sparkling. Haku smiled down at his son, bending down to catch Rei as the boy threw himself into his arms.

"Chichi-san!" Rei laughed.

"I told you I would never miss your first day of ninja academy." Haku murmured with a hint of laughter in his voice.

Setting his son back on the ground, Rei glanced between his parents with his large grown eyes, smiling at the picture they made. Sakura, with her short pink hair tossed by the wind and bright green eyes matching the spring leaves, Haku with a heavy river of raven hair falling down his back, his eyes matching those of his son. They stood close together, Haku with his arm wrapped around Sakura's waist with Sakura leaning her head on his shoulder. Rei knew that he had a lot to live up to. Both of his parents were legendary: Haku being the last wielder of the Ice Release (at least until Rei could learn it) and Sakura being the most powerful kunoichi of her time. Haku was a feared shinobi, as a missing-nin and then as an ANBU of Konoha. Sakura was loved and feared, as the best medic in the world and director of the Konoha hospital, and as the most volatile kunoichi in the elemental lands.

"You better run to class now, Rei-chan." Sakura chided gently. "The bell is about to ring."

Having forgotten about school for a second, Rei gasped and whirled around, darting towards the gates with record time.

Haku and Sakura chuckled together, turning to leave with the rest of the parents. The two had kept their relationship secret for many years, Haku continuing his life as a missing-nin while Sakura became preoccupied with fighting the Akatsuki. During the Fourth Shinobi War, many nuke-nin had stepped forward to aid with the Shinobi Alliance. Afterwards those that had helped and survived had been pardoned for any crimes and allowed to join a Hidden Village, if they chose to do so.

Haku had chosen to join the Hidden Leaf after fighting in the war. During this time everyone found out about their clandestine relationship, which was hardly punishable after he had already become a shinobi of Konoha. Naruto had flipped out, Kakashi had already been aware (he could smell their scents mingled), and Ino had been enraged that Sakura had never told her (_"And you let me believe that you would be hopelessly single for the rest of your life!"_). The rest of the village had been too preoccupied with post-war troubles to have much of a reaction about Sakura and Haku.

"Forehead!"

Haku and Sakura turned to glance at Ino and Sai.

"Everyone's meeting for barbeque lunch at Choji's place. See ya there!" Ino waved and then slipped her arm in Sai's.

"We don't have a choice, do we?" Haku asked his wife.

Sakura laughed as they began walking home. "Not unless you want her to start freaking out at us for it."

"She's going to 'freak out' anyway once we tell everyone the news." Haku smiled lovingly at his wife as he laid a hand on her stomach. She covered his hand with her own.

Haku kissed her on the cheek. "I hope she's just like you."

Sakura snickered as Haku rubbed the slight bulge that could still be hidden beneath her robes. "Actually, there will be twins. Twin girls."

Haku's eyes widened. "Kami help me…"

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><p><strong>Meh, it could be better. I didn't want to add too much plot or anything too deep. But I love the thought of them having a family. Maybe I'll re-edit this one day.<strong>

***'satoshi' means 'little one'**

**R&R!**

**~Lilithia**


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